Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c7.113

c7.113

Other terms, such as purāṇa-jña,¹² purāṇa-vid,¹³ paurāṇika,¹⁴ and purāṇika,¹⁵ often mean merely ‘one who knows the Purana (or Puranas)’ and are found so used;¹ as also the precise expressions, Purāṇa-vettṛ,² Purāṇa-vācaka,³ and others.⁴ But at other times purāṇa-jña, purāṇa-vid and paurāṇika imply more and can only mean ‘one who knows the ancient tales’. Thus, as regards purāṇa-jñas, vaṃśa-vids are cited as quoting an old verse sung by purāṇa-jñas as older authorities about Māndhātṛ⁵; paurāṇikas are cited as quoting an old verse sung by purāṇa-jñas about Datta Ātreya;⁶ and a verse about king Devāvṛdha is repeated as well known from a genealogy recited by purāṇa-jñas.⁷ This term is applied even to maharṣis,⁸ when it cannot reasonably mean merely ‘knowing the Purana’.⁹ Similarly purāṇa-vid janas are quoted as singing a song about Rāma Dāśarathi of Ayodhyā,¹⁰ about king Rantideva,¹¹ and about king Vyuṣitāśva of Ayodhyā,¹² and others.¹³ Paurāṇika generally refers to the Puranas and means ‘one who knows the Puranas’,¹⁴ yet it appears sometimes to mean ‘those who know the purāṇas or ancient stories’,¹⁵ as in the old kṣatriya ballad about king Satyavrata Triśaṅku, in which the Vāyu and Brahmāṇḍa quote verses more ancient than themselves as having been recited by paurāṇika janas.¹⁶